Building principals in Sturgis were to meet with staff members before school today to review protocol in discussing last week’s shooting massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.

Superintendent Tom Langdon said different techniques will be suggested depending on the grade level. Universally, however, Langdon has made clear the district employs safety measures to the best of its control.

Sadly, he said, even a seemingly foolproof safety precaution didn’t prevent 20 young children from becoming shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary.

“That school was doing all the right things when it came to security,” Langdon said. “Even with a buzz-in system, the young man forced his way into the building and did what he did.”

Langdon over the weekend emailed a letter to parents, reminding them that safety is the district’s No. 1 priority. Coincidentally, the district at one of its schools last week staged a lock-down drill, a practice he said will continue but likely take on a more somber tone and newfound meaning in the future.

An excerpt from Langdon’s letter reads as follows: “While there is no way to predict when or even if a shooting will occur, there are ways to deter – even stop –some events from happening. Please understand that as superintendent of this school district, safety is my primary concern.

“Please also know that we diligently work to deter such an occurrence that we witnessed last Friday. This year we added a school-liaison police officer to help protect our students.”

Langdon said he hopes parents who felt comfortable discussing the Connecticut situation with their children did so in a sensitive manner. Regardless, Langdon said it’s important to advise teachers that the subject has the potential to be raised on its own today.

Early-elementary teachers are being advised to curtail discussion, while it’s being suggested upper elementary teachers deal with potential discussions on a case-by-case basis.

At the middle school level, the subject could be discussed in a classroom setting while high school-aged students will probably review the issue with their peers before they would their teachers.

No matter their grade level, students will be monitored to ensure they aren’t displaying fears brought on as the result of the Connecticut situation.

“At all levels, we need to allay any fears students may have about their safety because we, as a school district, do everything we possibly can to make sure our students are safe,” Langdon said.

In his note to parents, Langdon said many SPS school personnel go to training sessions to learn the best ways to protect children.

“And they are our children. We are a school family at Sturgis Public Schools. It should be safe here and it is our job to make it so. I have said before that when you send your kids to school we should see it as a sacred trust. Believe me that we do,” Langdon wrote.

Page 2 of 2 - Included in his email was a question-and-answer note featuring Dr. Paul Coleman, author of “How to Say it to Your Child When Bad Things Happen,” to get an idea of how to communicate to children when something like the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy occurs.